The notebook recovered from the Florida nature preserve purporting to contain Brian Laundrie's confession for the death of his fiancé, Gabby Petito, has been shared by his family's attorney.
The eight pages of hand-written notes sent by attorney Steven Bertolino and credited to Laundrie, offer some insight into the tragic deaths of the young couple on a cross-country road trip.
"I ender her life," Laundrie writes in the notebook, recovered after the 23-year-old was found in October and returned to Bertolino on Friday.
"I though it was merciful, that it is what she wanted, but I see now all the mistakes I made," the writing continues.
Laundrie's writing details his decision to end Petito's life after she allegedly suffered some kind of injury while the two were camping at night. Laundrie talks about trying to keep her warm and awake while Petito was in "extreme" pain, but his entries don't explain any effort to find her medical help.
After her death, Laundrie says he couldn't go on without her.
FBI officials said in January that Laundrie had admitted to killing Petito in a notebook that was found near his body. The notebook was found in October along with human remains, a backpack and a revolver. In November, the remains were identified as Laundrie's.
Laundrie had also sent text messages to intentionally deceive people that Petito was still alive after he beat and strangled her in late August, according to a statement released by the FBI.
U.S. & World
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter.
Petito's remains were recovered Sept. 19 in a remote area of a Wyoming national park she and Laundrie had visited during the trip.
In September, the county coroner who ruled Petito's death a homicide revealed chilling details from the autopsy results: She was strangled by someone's bare hands, and likely died three to four weeks before she was found.
Laundrie had returned to his parents' home in Florida and remained quiet as the search for Petito was underway.
He then went missing Sept. 13, when his parents told authorities their son said he was going for a hike in the Carlton Reserve.
On Friday, Bertolino said he met with the FBI in Tampa, along with the Petito family attorney, where personal items belongings to Laundrie and Petito were handed back to be returned to their families.
The Laundrie attorney said in a statement he was providing images of the notebook "as a matter of transparency."
